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Black In America Review: It’s Education….Stupid!
Posted by BrianIn the nineties, former President Bill Clinton and his team made the catch phrase “it’s the economy stupid…†their mantra in two presidential election wins. They surmised that what mattered most to American was not foreign policy, crime, or smaller government. What mattered most to people was the economy; how much money they had to live on and to pass onto their children. That was what people cared most about, and if they could (and they did) talk about it and tell their story and their plan—in a way in which most Americans could understand, then pull it of – they would win. It’s the economy stupid! Money matters to people, and the economy will win or loose people elections almost (see 9-11, the terror scare and the politics of fear approach of the Republican Party) every time
I watched CNN’s presentation of Black in America last night, as I hope most informed forward thinking people I this country did. I thought the first of their two part series was excellent. I look forward to the second installment tonight. In light of that this blog past will be fairly short, and I want to hear from you the readers. I will pose the questions and then give you my opinion. I hope that you respond with your opinions whether you agree with me or not.
What is the most pressing issue facing Black America today?
I hope there are lots of different answers ranging from too many children being born out of single parent homes, to wage disparity between Blacks and other ethnic groups, to the lack of wealth creation versus rampant consumerism in our community. I want to hear arguments from you about all of these issues.
I contend that this single biggest problem facing Black America is the problem of education; access to quality education, the devaluation of it as a priority in our community, and the dearth of viable equal and functional educational choices for Black inner-city children.
Education is the great equalizer. My mother stated at FAMU, but only got thru one year before having to drop out to work. My father never went to college, or even saw it as a viable option. Instead, my dad chose to take one of the abundant blue collar jobs in a tire plant in my hometown, and then go to the military. My dad worked for 35 years in that tire plant, and retired from there to take another job and continue to provide for his family. My mother worked for the school board as a “lunch lady†a cafeteria food service employee for my HS Alma Mater. They wanted what all parent want for their children—a better life for me than they had. Their answer for that was for me to go to college. It was an EXPECTATION in my home, and as a result it is an expectation for my daughter. My education has afforded me opportunities and broadened my horizon. It has taken me to places I would have otherwise been unable to go, meet people, network and develop relationships to which I would have otherwise never been exposed. It has made me money. My education was the greatest investment made in my life to date. It took me out of my old neighborhood, and the black hole for the black men with whom I grew up and as a child called “friend.†It literally saved my life and established my future.
When our young people don’t have access to that same opportunity by virtue of attending failing, deteriorating, forgotten schools, they are being sentenced to a lifetime of second class citizenship. It is that simple. If we don’t fix the education gap in this country for African Americans then we run the risk of our entire country – which is becoming increasingly Black and Brown—no longer being the leader in the world, a “super power.†This is a national security issue, and one that should alarm every right thinking African American. It is the quintessential issue for my generation and ones to come. That’s my opinion– it’s education ….stupid!
I am a very educated, informed, forward-thinking American who did NOT watch either part of the series because outside of having absolutely no interest in it, I simply did not feel like it was going to expose me to any level of doctrine that I’m not already aware of.
Being a card-carrying, dues-paying member of the media I am very well aware of the struggle to get these types of stories past the assignment desk and indoctrinated into the homes of mainstream America as well as the effort behind the timing of the production of these pieces during ratings sweeps. While as good intentioned as they are, what is the overall final take away that America’s great melting pot is supposed to have that is going to cultivate and develop a more diverse populous where all men really and truly are created and treated equal? There is absolutely nothing new in these pieces that will be the catalyst for social change or will spawn the genesis of a fresh approach to solving an antediluvian issue.
While producing my first news cast 19 years ago, a wise news director told me a key rule in news judgment: ‘It’s the weather, stupid.” Meaning if it’s on the level of weather-related issues then that’s what people will care about. This “Black in America” series is not on that same level. It features sound bites and “perspectives” from “leaders” in Black America who aren’t nearly as in touch as they would like us to believe, and again after the piece ends and the audience has turned to watch Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne,” there is absolutely no amenable resolution.
Education, huh? Sorry but I’ll continue matriculating at the School of Hard Knocks and let my life experiences be my curriculum. The lessons from this form of pedagogy are definitely more enduring than any content on cable network TV or it’s online component.
This is a good post on a very relevant topic. We all talk so much about how Black people are struggling and so much is going on in our community, but we rarely propose viable solutions. Ignoring the problems and not paying attention to the various lenses that black people are seen through don’t help us solve the problems. The School of Hard Knocks that the previous commentator noted is an unaccredited diploma mill that has failed too many black people, particularly black men. Most who graduate from the SOHK get a PhD from prison.
As far as the biggest problem facing black people, the author almost got it right. The author mentioned that he had two parents that he lived with and showed him the value of hard work and taught him the importance of education even without the benefit of them having a college education themselves. He talked about how he was saved from the streets by his parents guidance. Those statements were the most important thing he said, education is the key, but parenting is the most essential thing. Too many black parents think that education is the key, but they do nothing to support their child’s education. The won’t wake up in the morning and get their child to school, they won’t check their homework, they won’t even make sure they have had breakfast (even if its free for kids who qualify). These parents expect teachers to play the role that they are supposed to be playing, they think teachers are responsible for teaching kids how to read. Your children should know how to read before they get to school. They shouldn’t be able to recite rap lyrics and not be able to spell their name. This is why the education gap exists, not only the poor schools and under qualified teachers, but because of the resentful baby’s mommas and baby’s daddies who don’t want anything to do with their kids once they realize they won’t be able to keep their mate just because they had a baby together. This is the greatest challenge for the black community. Parental responsibility and parental guidance for kids. A child’s first and greatest teacher should be their parents, both of them regardless of their relationship status.
I must say I did watch the first half of Black in America last night, caught it late (so I watched it again from the beginning at midnight). Although the stories and statistics are nothing new for me, I felt a need to support and view this documentary. I know it took much effort just to have it green lighted, let alone for the project to come to fruition. And YES I intend on watching the second half this evening.
I agree with the blogger , yet more so with the previous commenter (Keisha). I feel that as blacks we are the most bitter, unsupportive, crab in the barrell race of people (and it didn’t just start with slavery. Black people in Africa, Haiti, Jamaica, and other countries where people of African descent dwell are all dealing with similar issues.). The most pressing issue facing Black America today is our MENTALITIES! Having a negative, victim ‘woe it’s me’ mentality never got anybody anywhere close to being successful. Next issue is home life, where children are being raised in single parent homes or with grandma and the main focus for the parents are how to make ends meet, instead of raising their children to be healthy, happy, functional adults. Children have been left to grow up teaching and fending for themselves sometimes even other siblings. No one is around to educate, discipline, instill morals, or guide them with their sense of purpose for their lives. These are things that make a person and they SHOULD be established at home.
I was raised the first half of my life with both parents and 5 other siblings, the second half with my mother, my little sister, and a foster child who was a teen mom. My mom had a family daycare so that she could be accessible to her children and make a living doing what she loved. My mom did not have a college degree at the time, but she always let us know growing up, that without an education and a sense of purpose it is hard to succeed.
So, YES education is a great equalizer as the blogger stated, but without a foundation to build off of, or the discipline to make an education work for you, its nothing more than furthering ones education.
I agree with several of the previous comments in regards to the biggest issue facing Black America. The level of education you have shouldn’t be a prerequisite to whether or not you watched the show in my opinion. Yes its only a small sound bite or peep into Black America but nonetheless it’s a start and obviously it’s opened up dialogue because we’re here discussing it. I actually had the opportunity to talk about the show with one of my white friends too which I felt was great. In it’s own way the 2 part series can bring resolution on some level, albeit small, with people in this country which again is a start. We always want to complain about how this isn’t showing anything we already don’t know or is this really going to change anything and that’s what’s bothersome to me about the aftermath of the show. I too feel education is Black America’s biggest problem. Like the blogger, my parents stressed education early on and drilled in my head how that is the key to success in life and I have reaped the many benefits of that. America’s educational system is heavily flawed on so many levels and the people that feel the brunt of these culturally discriminatory mandates are the poor which in most major cities are predominantly African American children. The educational dilemma doesn’t just apply to schools it applies to the homes as well. As a public school teacher I see on a daily basis the lack of basic principles and morals some kids are lacking when they come to our school. The level of ignorance I see is appalling in some cases and I believe proper home training and positive examples of role models go a long way in giving our youth a fighting chance. Of course it’s easier said than done when unemployment, lack of a father, poverty, and crime are staring you in the face everyday but it is possible. Educating our children and our adults about the importance of education, financial stability, and cultural heritage are some of the things that should be stressed. Yes as a people we can be bitter and unsupportive, we can be our own worst enemy in some cases but has anybody ever looked at why it’s like that? It’s not like we were always like that. I don’t point the finger and say “the man keep holding me back” but I do recognize what has happened throughout our history in America and looked at the crisis in Haiti, Jamaica, and parts of Africa and realized that outside forces have played a hand in a great deal of the mess we as a people face. Divide and conquer is real and it’s been systematically happening for ages now. There is a lot of racial and cultural bias that has broken the backs of many good African Americans in this country unfortunately. Not everybody believes in the mantra “If you work hard you can achieve anything.” Though I preach that to my students I see those who did try hard and didn’t make it. A strong home base where the parents educate their children early on and teach them the importance of excelling in school is one of the many keys to success.